b.good’s Festival At The Farm

The owners of b.good restaurants have come a long way since they grew tomatoes in kiddie pools on the roof of their Brighton location, but they are still playing in the dirt. The health-conscious, farm-fresh, fast-casual restaurant has more than 35 locations worldwide and a farm on Boston’s Long Island that teaches Camp Harbor View attendees about nutrition and hard work while donating 75% of the harvest to those campers and other worthy organizations. To cap it off, they are teaming up with Six Chair Productions to throw Festival at the Farm on Saturday, July 30th, at Prowse Farm, in Canton.

The all-day food and music event will celebrate the farmers, food producers, and artisans that b.good works closely with as well as benefit the b.good Family Foundation. All donations made at the family-oriented festival, in addition to the net profits generated by b.good, will go directly to their micro-grant program that, as b.good’s website explains, helps, “inspired individuals improve their communities.”

“We will announce four grant winners,” said Jon Olinto, co-owner of b.good. “They will be integrated into the experience so you can hear their story and hear what their local project is. We want them to inspire people attending the festival to also apply for grants.”

The evolution of this charitable festival begin more than a decade ago, when b.good owners Anthony Ackil and Jon Olinto closed the Dartmouth Street restaurant on July 4th and hosted a backyard barbecue for their employees and friends. The tradition continued each summer, with larger attendances, “so we decided to formalize it with the b.good family barbecue and farmers market at GTI in the South End,” Olinto said.

“I don’t think we would’ve had a storyteller at our original barbecue,” Olinto said. “The best thing that you can do is create a festival that’s good for everyone. It’s a better perspective that we have now. It’s supposed to be about community – creating positive connections between farmers and food; impacting people and giving back at a more generous size and frequency.”

General admission ($40) does not include food but be sure to check out b.good’s selection of burgers, a chicken sandwich with corn salsa and cheddar, a grilled vegetable sandwich with balsamic glaze, their summer berry salad, potato salad with grilled corn, and a selection of lemonades.

Festival at the Farm, presented by b.good, is on Saturday, July 30, from 1 p.m. to 10 p.m., at Prowse Farm, 5 Blue Hill River Road, in Canton. Tickets, available here, are $40 for general admission, $120 for the VIP experience, $15 for kids 6 to 12, and free for kids 5 and under.

Kerry Stanton is a recipe writer, culinary instructor, and restaurant consultant. She writes for Dirty Water Media and the Boston Herald.
“I will not settle for anything less than exceptional food at every meal. This doesn’t mean that I demand excessive extravagance or prized ingredients for breakfast, lunch and dinner - I just want well-cooked, properly seasoned food, presented beautifully. I think we all deserve this much.”

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